Planning on putting some Hankook DynaPro MT RT03 (265/75R16) tires on it and a set of CBI bolt-on sliders.

Before -

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/Taco-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/b1-2.jpg

After -

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/T1-5.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/T2-2.jpg

haddix

11-14-2011, 08:52 PM

Glad to see you got a tacoma but sad to hear your keeping it mild. Im about to start building up my 03 lunar mist dcab tacoma and would have loved to see how this one went.

phsycle

11-14-2011, 10:04 PM

Nice Tacoma. I miss my old 4-door Tacoma. Good luck with the build.

juicebox

11-15-2011, 01:00 AM

I am excited to see where this build is going, that is a very clean double cab you have there. I am sure it'll be nothing like your old tundra, but exciting nonetheless.

Could you do me a huge favor and measure from the center of the front hub to the fender? I have OME 881 w/ bil 5100 and my 881's are sagging. I was considering putting the adjuster ring on the 5100's up one notch, but I don't want to do that and have the front be sky high.

01tundra

11-15-2011, 01:11 PM

Could you do me a huge favor and measure from the center of the front hub to the fender? I have OME 881 w/ bil 5100 and my 881's are sagging. I was considering putting the adjuster ring on the 5100's up one notch, but I don't want to do that and have the front be sky high.

I'm pretty sure that my factory springs have sagged some, but the driver's side was 21-7/8" and the passenger side measured 22". That was measuring from the center of the hub to the bottom of the factory fender flares.

01tundra

11-15-2011, 01:13 PM

I ordered a set of Goodyear Duratracs in 265/75R16 (C-rated / 6 ply) yesterday, they should be arriving at my local Discount Tire store before the end of this week.

juicebox

11-15-2011, 07:12 PM

I ordered a set of Goodyear Duratracs in 265/75R16 (C-rated / 6 ply) yesterday, they should be arriving at my local Discount Tire store before the end of this week.

I have ran both and the KM2's were smoother, had less road noise, had less vibration, required considerable less weight to balance, and was as good in the rain. The KM2's definitely had better off-road performance.

I will never have another GY product on my truck, the Goodyear MTR/K were the worst out of the 10 various sets of tires that I've ran on my truck. The second worse were the original MT/R's.............

The Goodyears are terrible in any muddy conditions, lacked lateral traction on rocks, took a ton or weight to balance, sidewalls cut as easy as the KM2's, made the truck want to pull to the passenger side on the road (as they did with the several other rigs that were running them on our trip).........so now you've heard it from somebody that actually has ran both and no longer runs either.

Maybe the MTR/K's are great on lighter rigs, but they were terrible on mine.

You may want to consider the Hankook's also.

:coffeedrink: BUSTED! Caught in the act of buying another GY product!

Did you decide to give them one more shot or did you get them for a good deal or something?

Thanks for the measurements btw.

01tundra

11-16-2011, 12:58 PM

Ha.....I know :p

I told my wife that I can't believe I'm actually giving GY another shot, if they turn out anything like the MTR's, they will be in the classified thread next week :)!

I was just struggling to find a C-rated tire that was semi-aggressive in 265/75/16. The BFG T/A KO's I currently have on it are D-rated and in my opinion are too much for a truck of this weight that doesn't really haul/tow anything. I'm reliving my tire dilemma in reverse now.......with the Tundra, I couldn't find any 37's or 40's that I liked in E-rating, until I found the Hankooks. I really wanted to run the Hankooks on this one, but I'm not a fan of an E-rated tire on this truck, mostly due to me wanting to keep this one as light weight as possible. If the Duratracs turn out to be not so great, I may have to bite the bullet and swap them out for the Hankook M/T's........

*Edit - I decided to go ahead and order an Inchworm E-locker motor guard and low-profile diff drain plug.

TangoBlue

11-17-2011, 01:28 AM

I'm wondering when the SAC and internal roll cage happen...

jim65wagon

11-17-2011, 02:16 AM

If the Duratracs don't work out Cooper has their AT3 and the original Discoverer ST in a C rated 265/75/16.......unless the SAC and the 35's replace the GYs

haddix

11-17-2011, 03:19 AM

I'm wondering when the SAC and internal roll cage happen...

I like this idea way better. :ylsmoke:

Rattler

11-17-2011, 03:28 AM

Did Fetter buy your Tundra? Everytime it seems I talk to him he has another Toy. If I would have known you were looking for a bed cover I have a nice tonneau sitting in the garage I will probably never use again that is in great condition.

In for the build. . . . . .

01tundra

11-17-2011, 12:54 PM

I'm wondering when the SAC and internal roll cage happen...

Not going to happen, this transformation has actually rekindled the flame for me. My primary focus is weight......I've never owned a rig under 4k lbs :)!

01tundra

11-17-2011, 12:59 PM

If the Duratracs don't work out Cooper has their AT3 and the original Discoverer ST in a C rated 265/75/16.......unless the SAC and the 35's replace the GYs

I just noticed that the Cooper SST came in C rating.....I guess it's a little late since my Duratracs will be here tomorrow.

01tundra

11-17-2011, 01:01 PM

Did Fetter buy your Tundra? Everytime it seems I talk to him he has another Toy. If I would have known you were looking for a bed cover I have a nice tonneau sitting in the garage I will probably never use again that is in great condition.

In for the build. . . . . .

Nope, some kid out of the Lexington, KY area off of tundrasolutions bought it.

haddix

11-17-2011, 03:07 PM

Hmm hopefully ill see your old rig around. I live in Richmond about 15 mins from Lexington.

EXP-T100

11-17-2011, 03:08 PM

You have any thoughts on gearing? I just went from 285 to 265 with 4.88. With the 265 and 4.88 itís a perfect combo. When I first got my truck it was kind of doggy compared to my wifeís ex-cab with 285's and 4.88. I figured it would get better when I went to 285 and 4.88 but that did not happen and I never was happy with the combo but now its got pep and the rpm's are about 2750 at 75mpr with the 265 and 4.88 which is only about 100 rpms difference than with the 285. So I guess what I am trying to say is the 4.88 and 265's combo rocks for the d-cab IMO.

01tundra

11-17-2011, 06:46 PM

Well so far so good. They are super quiet and really smooth. Didn't take any unusual amount of weight to balance. No pulling to one side or the other, no crazy handling characteristics either. I honestly can't really tell a difference in power, but the BFG's I had on there weighed about 4 lbs more per tire, so maybe that about washes out the extra 1" in diameter.

The tires look a lot more aggressive than I had imagined they would, and ride a lot smoother than I figured they would......so far, so good :)!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/duratrac1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/duratrac2.jpg

01tundra

11-21-2011, 02:08 PM

Started working on extending the rear diff breather over the weekend.
There seems to be somewhat of an ongoing debate on whether the breather should have a filter or just a vent cap......so I opted for both :). Found a small inline fuel filter at Autozone that had a 1/4" hose fitting on one end and 1/8" NPT threads on the other. Since I still had a few of the Summit Racing billet breather caps laying around from the old Tundra days, I figured I would combine them to make the ultimate bling breather vent.
I made an L-bracket to mount the filter assembly in and found a factory Toyota hose clamp laying around that fit the filter body perfectly.
Planning on finding a high spot to mount it up in the rear fender well, hopefully near, or above, the fuel filler.

*Edit - I decided to go ahead and order an Inchworm E-locker motor guard and low-profile diff drain plug.

I have the CBI bolt on sliders with the kickout and love them, though it took a little getting used to. The slider before the kickout is even with the fender flares. The kickout makes it stick out a little further, like so:
http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad341/louisd75/Truck%20Stuff/DSCN4080.jpg

I've heard that there is a compatibility issue between the BudBuilt skids and the CBI bolt ons. It has something to do with slider mounts interfering with the skid's rear crossmember. I can't remember where I saw the thread (either here or TTORA), but Bud was able to make some changes to work around the issue.

01tundra

11-21-2011, 05:28 PM

Thanks for the picture, I've been looking for a picture at that angle to get an idea about profile :).

Yeah, I've read about the same compatibility issues with Buds skids, I emailed him and he said he's heard about it over the years, but nobody's ever been able to show him where the conflict occurs. I figured that my plasma cutter can resolve any conflicts that arise.

Louisd75

11-22-2011, 03:46 PM

Thanks for the picture, I've been looking for a picture at that angle to get an idea about profile :).

Yeah, I've read about the same compatibility issues with Buds skids, I emailed him and he said he's heard about it over the years, but nobody's ever been able to show him where the conflict occurs. I figured that my plasma cutter can resolve any conflicts that arise.

This one here probably will show you how much they stick out the best:
http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad341/louisd75/Truck%20Stuff/DSCN4085.jpg

climber-420

11-22-2011, 04:13 PM

Louis..........what did you put on your fender flares? They look really clean.

01tundra

11-23-2011, 01:05 PM

Finally got my Teltek temperature gauge installed. Mounted the gauge on the console with velcro and put the sensor behind the driver's side marker light. Decided to go with the new battery powered version, mostly because I didn't feel like doing the wiring this time around.

How do you like your GPS mounted there? I have a Nuvi 1450 and have been thinking about that mounting bracket.

Rattler

11-24-2011, 03:51 PM

I think I would like the sliders with a kickout if they only came out about "2 or "3 and maybe not quite as much kickout..

01tundra

11-28-2011, 01:01 PM

How do you like your GPS mounted there? I have a Nuvi 1450 and have been thinking about that mounting bracket.

I like it, I've used Pro-Clips in my Tundra's, our FJ, and now the Tacoma.

01tundra

11-28-2011, 01:01 PM

I think I would like the sliders with a kickout if they only came out about "2 or "3 and maybe not quite as much kickout..

Yeah, I may end up just building my own.......

rangermatt

11-29-2011, 01:08 PM

Sweet tacoma, thinking of going a similar route with the 5100 adj. struts and shocks and keeping my 265-75-16s, hows the ride?, does it compare to stock?

Rattler

11-29-2011, 01:28 PM

Sweet tacoma, thinking of going a similar route with the 5100 adj. struts and shocks and keeping my 265-75-16s, hows the ride?, does it compare to stock?

I can't speak for this one but I have been running the 5100s f&r for a while now with 285/75/16 Treadwright BFG AT copies, OME medium coils in front, AALs and "1.5 lift blocks in back (going to Dakars sooner or later). The ride is spectacular empty or loaded right down. The Treadwrights seem a little stiffer than most too.

01tundra

11-29-2011, 01:46 PM

Sweet tacoma, thinking of going a similar route with the 5100 adj. struts and shocks and keeping my 265-75-16s, hows the ride?, does it compare to stock?

It actually rides much better. In corners the suspension is firm, and is much more forgiving when hitting bumps. I didn't believe it would make a big difference, so I only put the 5100's on the front initially, but once I put a set on the rear I found out that I was wrong.

rangermatt

11-29-2011, 02:52 PM

Cool, sounds right up my alley for a DD rig that mostly sees logging roads and mild off roading

01tundra

11-30-2011, 08:40 PM

After thinking about it a little more, I decided that I would actually come out better off paying CBI to build my sliders so I can stay focused on getting the two customer build projects out of the shop.....so I just ordered a set of custom CBI bolt-on sliders, BudBuilt skid plate combo set, and an Odyssey 35-PC1400T battery.

I'm planning on sneaking out of the shop sometime this weekend to get my hi-lift bed mount and gas tank skid plate plating project finished up.

01tundra

12-05-2011, 01:44 PM

Found some time to fab up my Hi-Lift bed mounts and fuel tank skid plate over the weekend......

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/hl1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/hl2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/hl3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/hl4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/hl5.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/gtskid1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/gtskid2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/gtskid3.jpg

01tundra

12-08-2011, 08:00 PM

Got the BudBuilt skid plates installed last night, but I'm going to drop the belly pan off tomorrow and weld some reinforcement angle onto it.

Also gathering up all the supplies to build a rear bumper for it. CBI sliders should be here in the next couple weeks.......then I'm done :).

TangoBlue

12-08-2011, 08:20 PM

.....then I'm done :).

Yeah - right. :rolleyes:

Good idea on the belly pan reinforcement. Before SAC, and I had a BudBuilt belly pan, that was a chronic weak point.

From an earlier post you mentioned ProClip for your GPS mount - thanks for that reference. I picked one up for my smart phone - now I can easily use some of the nav features while driving.

Box Rocket

12-08-2011, 09:01 PM

Coming along nicely. Get crackin on that rear bumper! ;)

01tundra

12-08-2011, 09:15 PM

Ha! I just got off the phone with my steel girl, got it all lined up.

Looking at my options for license plate lights now, trying to remember which one I used on the Tundra.....

01tundra

12-08-2011, 09:27 PM

I had a BudBuilt belly pan, that was a chronic weak point.

Do you remember where the skid plate weak points were at?
It looks like I could weld one or two runs of 1" x 1/8" angle facing downward to form an upside down "V" the length of the plate. Thinking about running at least one piece between the cat and T-case.

TangoBlue

12-09-2011, 02:27 AM

Just before the rear mount; had to bang it flat a couple times. I think your idea about the angle iron is a good one, but I would have the point of the chevron pointing to the front so as to deflect an obstacle away from the centerline, or to guide the truck off of the peak of an obstacle. And it would be more aerodynamic, too, so you'd have that going for you...

01tundra

12-09-2011, 12:57 PM

I'm welding the angle on the top side of the plate (facing the floorboard) with the chevron pointing upward toward the floorboard, if that makes any sense at all.......

TangoBlue

12-09-2011, 06:33 PM

I'm welding the angle on the top side of the plate (facing the floorboard) with the chevron pointing upward toward the floorboard, if that makes any sense at all.......

Check. You probably already figured this in but the T-case skid is pretty close so watch where you place your reinforcements. You may also want to add a couple drain holes, too. I often got a lot of muck up there. I suppose you enlarged the oil bung access hole, too. Big enough for a toddlers arm but I don't have any toddlers anymore.

01tundra

12-12-2011, 01:52 PM

Have a set of OME 881 coils and Wheeler's 3-leaf AAL coming for it.

CBI sliders will be here on Wednesday.

That ought to do it....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/budskid.jpg

01tundra

12-15-2011, 07:07 PM

Some bling from CBI :ylsmoke:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/CBISliders1.jpg

Derek24

12-15-2011, 07:36 PM

Looks good JJC....I mean 01tundra. :)

01tundra

12-15-2011, 07:43 PM

Ha thanks.......uh....but it's '03supertaco now :)!

TangoBlue

12-15-2011, 11:40 PM

So do we just stay on this thread when you start working on the FJC solid axle or will you start a new thread? ;)

01tundra

12-16-2011, 01:10 PM

So do we just stay on this thread when you start working on the FJC solid axle or will you start a new thread? ;)

Ha....she can start her own thread on that one :ylsmoke:.

Got the sliders installed last night. There's is definitely, 100%, without a doubt, a conflict between Bud's rear skid crossmember and the CBI bolt-on mounting brackets. Nothing the plasma cutter couldn't fix, but just wanted to confirm the rumors. Hindsight (after looking at the pictures), I probably should have cut the crossmember mounting plates down as far as possible to minimize the notch in the CBI plates, but it was late and I don't see the sliders going anywhere, so no worries.

If you have time, you can just post up a picture of your bumper in here and save me the time......since mine's going to look just like yours. Just remember, "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" :D.

I keep drawing and trying to change it up, but I can't get away from the simplicity of your design. I like that is doesn't look to out of place with a stock front bumper. I don't even like the look of the second bar I thought about adding, even though it makes sense from a body protection standpoint. I keep hoping that during fabrication I'll come up with some ideas of my own, but I imagine they will be so minute that it won't be very noticable. I am mounting the license plate off to the passenger side.

Tell ya what.......I'll also leave the rubber step plates off it so it will be different :).

01tundra

12-19-2011, 02:02 PM

Installed a 14,500# GVW Long Tru-Cool auxiliary transmission cooler this weekend. Also went ahead and enlarged the oil pan drain access hole in Bud's skid plate while I had it off. Oh.....and my bumper is turning out great so far :D......

Got some more parts to install, putting the OME 881's and Wheeler's 3-pack AAL on tonight, then jumping back onto the bumper build tomorrow. Planning on dropping the 5100 clips to the lowest (stock) setting and going to leave the factory overload leaves out, since I'm also running Toytech 1" shackles on the back currently.

...putting the OME 881's and Wheeler's 3-pack AAL on tonight, Planning on dropping the 5100 clips to the lowest (stock) setting and going to leave the factory overload leaves out...

That is my exact suspension setup. I have a 1" body lift and 33x1050r15 km2's. I have had it since NOV/2008, ~28K on the setup. 881's sagged quite a bit, I have been wanting to move up to the next clip or get some 882's. 882's will be too high, Box Rocket has the 882's with no body lift same tires as me and his truck looks to be about 2" higher than mine, but that's judging from the pics.

Basically, you may need to tweak that suspension a little more in a few thousand miles. I didn't use the factory overload in the rear, I kinda wish I did though. The rear has sagged a bit also, the leaves are just straight... Since I left the overload out, the bumpstops weren't high enough on the spring pack to hit the frame. They just miss them by about 1/8". So, not having an overload, combined with ineffective bumpstops have killed them pretty quick, which, in turn killed the passenger side shock. (maybe the driver's side is blown now also) So, now I have to figure out a different setup in the back. I was thinking about just getting some all-pro springs, 882's and then wait forever for them to settle... I don't know... It's just an annoying situation, so hopefully it will shed some light on your decisions. I think if I could go back in time I would be really happy with this setup, there were just some variables that I didn't foresee and now I am considering completely re-doing it.

Box Rocket

12-23-2011, 02:40 AM

That is my exact suspension setup. I have a 1" body lift and 33x1050r15 km2's. I have had it since NOV/2008, ~28K on the setup. 881's sagged quite a bit, I have been wanting to move up to the next clip or get some 882's. 882's will be too high, Box Rocket has the 882's with no body lift same tires as me and his truck looks to be about 2" higher than mine, but that's judging from the pics.

Basically, you may need to tweak that suspension a little more in a few thousand miles. I didn't use the factory overload in the rear, I kinda wish I did though. The rear has sagged a bit also, the leaves are just straight... Since I left the overload out, the bumpstops weren't high enough on the spring pack to hit the frame. They just miss them by about 1/8". So, not having an overload, combined with ineffective bumpstops have killed them pretty quick, which, in turn killed the passenger side shock. (maybe the driver's side is blown now also) So, now I have to figure out a different setup in the back. I was thinking about just getting some all-pro springs, 882's and then wait forever for them to settle... I don't know... It's just an annoying situation, so hopefully it will shed some light on your decisions. I think if I could go back in time I would be really happy with this setup, there were just some variables that I didn't foresee and now I am considering completely re-doing it.

I'm saying there's no way my truck is 2" taller than yours unless you have yours loaded with 5K* of gear. At last measurement I am right about 3" over stock. But the front has dropped slightly. The rear Dakars have settled too even with the AAL. I still like the Dakar/AAL set up, but if I carried much more weight than I do it might start pushing their limits. My truck might look slightly taller in the rear because I have the All Pro 1.5" shackles too.

From my experience, the combination of 882's and the Dakar/AAL setup is really great on a DC. Once you load the truck with gear and add armor and a winch it's definitely not too tall. My front end works great and I still don't have a winch. When I do my goal will be to keep it as light as possible. I think I've got a setup figured out that will be 50lbs or less, which isn't too bad.

01tundra

12-28-2011, 01:38 PM

Got the lift on, ended up having to go back in and move the clips on the 5100's to the middle setting to get it closer to level, since I'm running the 1" Toytec shackles in the back. I like the way it's sitting now. And all the BS all over the internet about "never raise the clips past the bottom setting with OME springs" is just that....BS. The shocks feel fine and the ride is great.

Made a little progress on the rear bumper, still have to make the side frame braces and cap the tube ends tonight.

Thanks once again to Box Rocket from allowing me to copy his cool bumper design :ylsmoke:!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/b1-3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/b2-2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/b3-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/b4-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/b5.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/b6.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/b7.jpg

Rattler

12-28-2011, 02:21 PM

I like the bumper so far!

TangoBlue

12-28-2011, 03:59 PM

Nice job! No shackle points?

01tundra

12-28-2011, 04:04 PM

No shackle points?

Absolutely :p -

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/shackle.jpg

TangoBlue

12-28-2011, 04:22 PM

Whew! I stand greatly relieved...

jim65wagon

12-28-2011, 09:03 PM

Bumper looks good, I'd take one of those Tundra sized if I had a better wallet. Keep up the good work!

01tundra

12-28-2011, 09:09 PM

Bumper looks good, I'd take one of those Tundra sized if I had a better wallet. Keep up the good work!

Ha, thanks Jim. Next time you happen to be in Hendersonville, swing on by and we'll get to building you one....I'm pretty sure I'll have enough material left over ;).

climber-420

12-29-2011, 04:21 AM

this may be a dub question, but can you use the thru cooler with a manual transmission? i see it stated to be used with automatic tranny fluid. help a brotha out. i want to make sure my truck lasts a long time as well.

01tundra

12-29-2011, 12:47 PM

this may be a dub question, but can you use the thru cooler with a manual transmission? i see it stated to be used with automatic tranny fluid. help a brotha out. i want to make sure my truck lasts a long time as well.

Not that I'm aware of. A manual transmission is just a gear box, like a transfer case. The heat generated in an automatic transmission is mostly due to the torque convertor, which a manual transmission does not have.

xjaugie

12-29-2011, 02:04 PM

You are reading my mind with that rear bumper. I got burned by a Ebayer for a rear bumper, took my $ and never delivered. So for now I got a regular step bumper from the junk yard, but come spring I think I'll have to fab up like yours, hope you don't mind a copy cat.

01tundra

12-29-2011, 02:10 PM

You are reading my mind with that rear bumper. I got burned by a Ebayer for a rear bumper, took my $ and never delivered. So for now I got a regular step bumper from the junk yard, but come spring I think I'll have to fab up like yours, hope you don't mind a copy cat.

Ha...mind? I am the OG of copy cats on this one :D. I felt so bad that I had to PM Box Rocket and ask for permission to copy his cool bumper design.......

I've been trying hard to make some subtle changes to it, but when it comes to such a simple, clean design, that's easier said than done. Mine actually differs in many ways from BR's, problem is that those differences don't show up visually.

Feel free to ask me any questions when you get started, I've been keeping some decent notes on what I would have done different already.

TangoBlue

12-29-2011, 05:07 PM

You are reading my mind with that rear bumper. I got burned by a Ebayer for a rear bumper, took my $ and never delivered. So for now I got a regular step bumper from the junk yard, but come spring I think I'll have to fab up like yours, hope you don't mind a copy cat.

HIJACK ON

You know there are several good fabricators in the NOVA area that could whip that out in a couple hours...

HIJACK OFF

01tundra

12-29-2011, 06:37 PM

Well I just pulled the trigger on a new set of Icon's that were on sale.....damnit.....could-not-resist :D.
Anybody happen to be looking for a brand new set of 5100's, OME 881's, & Toytec 1/4" top plate spacer :rolleyes:?

Derek24

12-30-2011, 09:41 PM

Well I just pulled the trigger on a new set of Icon's that were on sale.....damnit.....could-not-resist :D.
Anybody happen to be looking for a brand new set of 5100's, OME 881's, & Toytec 1/4" top plate spacer :rolleyes:?

Hahahaha! Why does that happen? LOL!!

Box Rocket

12-31-2011, 05:03 PM

Bumper is looking great! You mentioned lots of differences from the one I built but I'm not seeing too many (not that it's a bad thing). The reuse of the factory bumper brackets to the bracing of the reciever are all exactly like mine. Kinda made me wonder if you have been sneaking into my garage at night to get a closer look. ;) Honestly pretty uncanny how similar even the details are. And in case I wasn't clear before, I have absolutely no problem with you 'copying'. You're doing a great job with it!

01tundra

01-03-2012, 01:12 PM

Like I said, there are very small differences - I put a small kick in the side bars, license plate mount, side bar supports, etc. Oh....and you should really lock your garage doors at night :D!

Rear bumper is finished. Found some heim joints laying around the shop to build new swaybar end links out of. Trimmed some of the plastic on the front bumper also. Icon's are going on tomorrow night and then it will be time to make the winch mount behind the front bumper for the Smittybilt XRC8 winch that will be here Friday.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/rb1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/rb2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/frameties.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/trailerplug.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/swaybar.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/FrontBumperTrim.jpg

Derek24

01-04-2012, 06:55 AM

Ahhh I'm sitting back waiting...waiting for this Taco to look just like your late awesome Tundra! :)

degraaf

01-06-2012, 01:20 AM

Well I just pulled the trigger on a new set of Icon's that were on sale.....damnit.....could-not-resist :D.
Anybody happen to be looking for a brand new set of 5100's, OME 881's, & Toytec 1/4" top plate spacer :rolleyes:?

Are the Icons still on sale, and if so where?

01tundra

01-06-2012, 12:45 PM

Are the Icons still on sale, and if so where?

No, I just installed the Icons last night.

I was selling the 881's and 5100's, they are already spoken for though.

xjaugie

01-06-2012, 02:27 PM

HIJACK ON

You know there are several good fabricators in the NOVA area that could whip that out in a couple hours...

HIJACK OFF

HIJACK ON

I've printed a photo and will have my local feb guy here in Westminster, MD bult me one come this spring.

HIJACK OFF

TRDPARTS4U

01-06-2012, 02:39 PM

Are the Icons still on sale, and if so where?

We still have a pair of the extended travel coilovers for 1st gen Tacomas on sale.

http://www.trdparts4u.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=-8792

01tundra

01-06-2012, 03:24 PM

Everything has arrived for the winch install, other then the 12VoltsGuy switch panel that should be here in a week or so. I'm going to start cutting and welding this afternoon and will hopefully have something that resembles a winch mount by the end of the weekend.

haddix

01-06-2012, 05:38 PM

Are you still trying to lie to yourself and say this build is going to be mild or is that out the window?

TangoBlue

01-06-2012, 05:48 PM

Are you still trying to lie to yourself and say this build is going to be mild or is that out the window?

LMAO! So I'm not the only one who thinks that...

jim65wagon

01-06-2012, 07:58 PM

LMAO! So I'm not the only one who think that...
I think we're all thinking that....we're just waiting for JJC...er....I mean 03Tacoma....no,wait not yet it's still 01Tundra.....to conclude the same and get on with it!

01tundra

01-09-2012, 12:59 PM

I have no idea what you gentlemen are speaking of :rolleyes:

01tundra

01-09-2012, 01:28 PM

Anyways.....started working on the winch mount this weekend. I plated the outside of the frame with 3/16" plate with anti-crush sleeves welded to them. The entire winch mount is bolt-on, used 2"X3"x3/16" tube and 2"x3"x3/16" angle. Bought a Smittybilt winch mounting plate to hack apart. I welded the factory endcaps onto the frame a little better and reused them. The winch mount is held on with (2) 1/2" Grade 8 bolts on each side, plus the two factory bolts for the tow hooks, plus the factory end cap bolts. The winch plate is attached to the mount with four 1/2" Grade 8 bolts. So I would say the weak point would be the four 3/8" bolts that comes with the winch.

I've got the lower plastic valance trimmed and ready to go back on, but I'm waiting on new clip nuts and bolts to come in for it. I'm going to start mounting the solenoid pack under the hood tonight and getting it all wired up.

That does look nice... I'll be interested in what it looks like all put back together.

01tundra

01-09-2012, 07:43 PM

Thanks.

I zipped the plastic part of the bumper out with my pneumatic body saw without even marking it, just free-hand cut and fit type deal, so it's probably not going to look as clean as it could have. It was 1:00 AM this morning and I was running on empty, not the greatest time to attempt detailed aesthetic work by all means.........

The winch didn't land where I anticipated/wanted it to.....looked good on paper though :rolleyes:. I wanted to have it sitting higher so I wouldn't have to chop the valance up, but to do that I would have had to chop the chrome bumper up.....some idiot put this really cool looking transmission cooler right in my way :). Right now it's easy to access if need be atleast. I figured if it turns out butt ugly, I'll just build a super light-weight plate bumper around it all to make it purty again :D!

TangoBlue

01-09-2012, 08:04 PM

Put up pics anyway. If it looks crappy then you'll make us all feel better about ourselves... You don't have an off-day very often.

01tundra

01-09-2012, 08:19 PM

Put up pics anyway. If it looks crappy then you'll make us all feel better about ourselves... You don't have an off-day very often.

I will as soon as the nut clips and bolts show up at the dealership (tomorrow hopefully). Some of the original bolts were rusted, so I broke 7 of the 12 bolts trying to get the lower valance off, figured it was a good time to replace everything.

Of course, breaking things was the name of the game this weekend for me, I managed to break every one of my 1/2" drill bits....my wrists still hurt :)! Funny how it's always the "simple" projects that end up biting you.....

Things got ugly in the shop last night :D.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/bits.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/shop2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/shop1.jpg

TangoBlue

01-09-2012, 09:35 PM

I didn't hear about any tornadoes going through TN last night...

01tundra

01-09-2012, 09:47 PM

I didn't hear about any tornadoes going through TN last night...

Ha.....I still haven't beaten my old record though :D!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/mess-2.jpg

juicebox

01-09-2012, 10:05 PM

Were those DeWalt titanium drill bits? I just bought a set of those and my 1/2" drill bit chipped. :(

01tundra

01-09-2012, 10:09 PM

Yep, a few of them were. The best bits I've ever bought were some plain old, ugly, black oxide drill bits from Grainger years ago. Seems like all these new plutonium coated super bits basically suck. Those gold ones chip like glass almost.

Derek24

01-10-2012, 03:58 AM

Ahh you posted pics of the truck of that of which we don't speak....Looks good!

Box Rocket

01-10-2012, 08:57 PM

Just noticed your welder. Which model Hobart do you have? And how do you like it? I just bought a new Handler 187 that should be here next week. I've got a couple projects I'm itchin to start on so I'm getting anxious.

jim65wagon

01-10-2012, 09:09 PM

I didn't hear about any tornadoes going through TN last night...
I was thinking earthquake......

01tundra

01-10-2012, 09:54 PM

Just noticed your welder. Which model Hobart do you have? And how do you like it? I just bought a new Handler 187 that should be here next week. I've got a couple projects I'm itchin to start on so I'm getting anxious.

That's a Handler 187 and I love it. Won it as the "most carnage on the trip award" from the '08 UA......I figure that welder cost me about $5k :D! I took it home and decided to try it out and then either sell it or the brand new Miller 185 I had just purchased, to me the Hobart welded better, so the Miller went.

01tundra

01-10-2012, 09:58 PM

I hope to have the winch wired up and the bumper back together tonight if all goes well. I won't have the in-cab switches for a few more weeks since 12VoltGuy is running a little behind right now. I'm going to go ahead and have the switch leads ran out of the control box so it will be easy to wire once the switches get here. Putting the solenoid pack between the battery and fenderwell on the driver's side, I relocated the remote control plug to the top of the solenoid cover last night and started making up my cables.

01tundra

01-11-2012, 02:02 PM

Well.....so much for a hidden winch :rolleyes:. I can at least say that it definitely wasn't due to lack of effort.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/w12.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/w13.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/w14.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/winch1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/winch2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/winch4.jpg

TangoBlue

01-11-2012, 03:29 PM

What winch? Oops - I see it now... I was distracted by the neatness of the garage.

You sound like my Grandma... we would rave about the incredibly delicious Sunday supper she would whip up, and she would say it wasn't as good as she'd hoped.

That looks great! Considering the space you had to work with and all the reinforcement you added to a notoriously weak area, I think it turned out beautifully. Do you have any tow/shackle points tucked in there someplace? Where did you place your solenoid? I ended up sticking mine below the airbox - there happened to be a couple holes with captured nuts that lined up perfectly with the solenoid mount.

However, I'm still taking bets on a pool for when you decide to build a new front bumper.

01tundra

01-11-2012, 03:38 PM

Ha....I'm my toughest critic....what can I say, it could always be built better in hindsight in my mind.

The solenoid pack is right next to the battery, same place I had it in my Tundra, you can see it in the third picture down. I move the remote plug to the top so it would be easy to access, even though once I get the dash switches in, the controller will just be under-seat decoration :)!

I may paint the chrome drum lever black, I think that's what is jumping out in my eyes the most.

It would be simple to build a bumper, but I really wanted to keep as close to factory look as I could. The back was not an option, since the hitch hung down so low and the rear bumper was rusting. I actually shaved a substantial amount of weight off with the rear bumper build. I'm shooting for as light weight as possible for this rig.......less is more!

TangoBlue

01-11-2012, 04:05 PM

Well, you did a superb job. Meritorious pat on the back! I look at the drum lever as a teaser... "hey, there's something special about that bumper." Shackle points? Just in case you need to give me a tug at GSMTR next May.

I'm shooting for as light weight as possible for this rig.......less is more!

Truer words have never been said... especially with the 3RZ (me). Did you get a before weight for comparison? Pre-SAC and post-SAC was a miraculous wash - 4400 pounds courtesy of the Stafford dump scales.

01tundra

01-11-2012, 04:29 PM

I've got a receiver shackle for the rear and planning on just using the factory attachment points up front.

I didn't get a chance to weigh it stock, specs say 3,705#. I was shooting to keep it 4K or under.....the tundra was pushing 7K and that was the downfall of having a full-sized rig IMO. I added somewhere around 90# in sliders, 120# in skids, 65# winch, 50# winch mount, and probably 50# in misc., that would put it around 4,080#. So say 4,100#, but I bet I lost 100# in receiver hitch and rear bumper. I need to get it on a set of CAT scales soon to see what it actually is.

GSMTR - we're there :D!

jim65wagon

01-11-2012, 09:08 PM

That is a nice job......the garage is so clean now! How long did that take? The winch is good too! Paint the shiny handle black and call it good! Again, you are proving our lack in the "mad skillz" department.......

Box Rocket

01-12-2012, 05:35 PM

Nice work. I think you've done that as cleanly as possible. Looks like a factory option to me. Did you do anything to waterproof the solenoid connections? That's the only real complaint I've heard about the XRC winches is that they are poorly sealed and can get corroded and stop working when you least expect it. If you did anything to improve the seals I'd love to see some pics and suggestions as I'm considering an XRC for my own truck.

01tundra

01-12-2012, 05:38 PM

Thanks. I may pick up a new lower valance so I can cut it a little tighter around the fairlead........

No I haven't yet, I figured since they were under the hood they may not need it. But I will most likely do something to them at some point since I've read about the same issues.

dyogim

01-12-2012, 06:14 PM

Nice! Looks good how it's integrated into the stock bumper. Looks as almost a winch was meant to be mounted there.

01tundra

01-12-2012, 06:21 PM

I'm experimenting with a different valance, found one at PartsGeek that's a "non ground effect" version for an '03 Tacoma that's got a lot better profile to it. It's an $18 gamble, but maybe it will turn out to be a win :)! Best I can tell, I basically cut the "ground effects" off my factory one, so this may save a step and look a lot cleaner at the same time.......or it could end up as a bunch of cut up plastic in my trash can :D.

SSF556

01-17-2012, 04:59 PM

Still liking the DuraTracs?

01tundra

01-18-2012, 02:53 PM

Yep, they're still doing great. They really stick in the rain well. Haven't really had a chance to try them in the snow yet, but what little we've had, they seemed to do really good. They also do well in loose gravel.

01tundra

01-18-2012, 03:40 PM

I finally got the new valance on, didn't turn out perfect, but it's as good as it's going to get. I like the cleaner fit, plus I hardly had to trim the bottom of this one since it isn't the valance with the "ground effects".....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/wf1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/wf2.jpg

TangoBlue

01-18-2012, 03:47 PM

That turned out well (but the other one looked okay to me).

I guess it's not something you can really tell by a photo unless you see it in person.

It probably would have bugged you to no end until you fixed it, right?

What's the next project?

01tundra

01-18-2012, 04:08 PM

Yeah, not a big change, but it was bugging me. The new valance is just a little cleaner/simpler, mostly on the bottom and on the ends, since I didn't have to cut through the ground effects lines. Hard to really tell by my crappy pictures.

No big items left as of now, trying to figure out a way to make my bed tent from the Tundra work with this one. Then maybe find a new airbedz for it. Thinking about building an aluminum, low-profile, easy removal bed rack for hauling our kayaks on. I would want to be able to leave the bed cover on it while using the rack. Haven't got very far with it yet.....it's just rattling around in my brain now, waiting for the fuse to get lit :)!

Before -

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/winch4.jpg

After -

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/wf2.jpg

Before -

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/winch2.jpg

After -

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/wf1.jpg

01tundra

01-18-2012, 04:11 PM

Well hell......now that I posted the pictures like that......I'm starting to like the original better......damnit :(!

Good thing I kept the old one.....

TangoBlue

01-18-2012, 04:26 PM

Now that you mention it... I didn't want to say anything, being that you worked so hard and put so much time into it, but if you take a close look at... no, no, never mind.

It's probably not a big deal - I doubt anyone will notice.

01tundra

01-18-2012, 04:37 PM

So do I throw the original valance back on it or pick up a new one like my factory one and try to cut it tighter around the fairlead?

TangoBlue

01-18-2012, 04:48 PM

No... I really shouldn't have said anything...

:coffeedrink: gotcha! Just messing with you - both look good!

01tundra

01-18-2012, 05:30 PM

Still think I'm going to throw the first one back on tonight, I kind of like the way it looks better afterall.

zolo

01-18-2012, 07:25 PM

Look freakin awesome either way. I like the simple hidden set up.

Less IS More!!!!

jim65wagon

01-18-2012, 08:29 PM

I like the lines of the first one better. If you have extra cash you could buy another and try to fit it a little better. I don't see any real reason to do that though. It looks about a million times better than I would have done, and has a pretty darned good "this Tacoma came from the factory with a winch" look to it.
As for the rack; does the Tacoma have stake pockets like the Tundra? If so, a simple and removeable rack like mine (an aluminum version would be sweet! I need to learn to weld aluminum!) would work well as a kayak rack.....

01tundra

01-18-2012, 08:35 PM

Not stake pockets on mine, I was thinking about bolting down some Thule rails on top of the plastic bed rail caps I installed, and then go from there. If I buy the entire Thule rack, it's about $500 just for the basic rack & crossbars.....but I do like how the feet lock to the rail and are quick disconnect.

A little spendy, but it would easily hold your kayaks...and any other toys (i.e. skis, bikes, etc.). Might not hold the rooftop tent in the raised position, but might manage it in the lowered position. And I believe this setup fits the Tacoma box.

jim65wagon

01-18-2012, 09:05 PM

What if you just laid some flat stock on the bed rail and clamped it down with those bolt-on bed cap type clamps?
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21zAq9mj5pL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
You could easily weld up a rack using the flat stock as a base. Clamp it on to use, declamp to store in the garage.
Or would that just come across looking getto?

Edit: This would only work if you are not going to use a cover of some sort. With a cover I think you'll have to mount something through or directly on top of the bed rail in a slightly more permanent fashion.....I'm not sure how the Thule feet attach.....

01tundra

01-18-2012, 09:05 PM

Since the longest kayak I'll be carrying is 7'-9", I was leaning toward having something low profile so I could throw a basket on it when we weren't paddling. I figured it could serve double duty that way, more carrying capacity for camping trips, and boat carrying when we're paddling, or both at the same time. On trips where we camp & paddle, was thinking about keeping the area under the bed cover free for gear and have the boats up top.

01tundra

01-18-2012, 09:10 PM

What if you just laid some flat stock on the bed rail and clamped it down with those bolt-on bed cap type clamps?
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21zAq9mj5pL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
You could easily weld up a rack using the flat stock as a base. Clamp it on to use, declamp to store in the garage.
Or would that just come across looking getto?

I was leaning toward a rack that could be used in conjunction with my bed cover. That's why I like Thule's quick release feet -
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002MBP64/ref=ox_sc_act_title_7?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

jim65wagon

01-18-2012, 09:14 PM

Gotcha, four of those quick release feet and two bars would haul kayaks, you could buy or build a basket that mounts to the bars to carry other gear as needed.

01tundra

01-18-2012, 09:17 PM

Gotcha, four of those quick release feet and two bars would haul kayaks, you could buy or build a basket to carry other gear as needed.

Yeah. I also like that Thule uses square bars.

I kind of like this basket for when we're traveling. I bought a Thule soft roof-top carry bag for the '09 UA and have yet to use it, but was thinking that I could possible strap it down in this basket -

Problem is, when you buy all the pieces and parts (locks, rails, basket, etc) it ends up being $610 :Wow1:!
And that's before the kayak mounts are even considered....

jim65wagon

01-18-2012, 09:21 PM

Nice looking basket. Is 150lbs enough? I know I put more than that on my rack easily.....of course, no one will ever accuse me of packing light!
.
buy the feet and bars and make your own basket?

01tundra

01-18-2012, 09:24 PM

Nice looking basket. Is 150lbs enough? I know I put more than that on my rack easily.....of course, no one will ever accuse me of packing light!
.
buy the feet and bars and make your own basket?

Yep, would probably be pushing it. The Thule rack is only rated for 165 lbs....

01tundra

01-20-2012, 01:25 PM

Put the original valance back on last night. Also installed some Chevy tow hooks and modified the factory attachment for my winch line while I had it all apart.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/h1-2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/h2-1.jpg

docjake

01-21-2012, 03:09 PM

I know that you use your equipment so I have greater respect for your opinions then others. My question being it looks like you are running a viking winch line would you say that is a better line then master pull?

01tundra

01-21-2012, 08:52 PM

I know that you use your equipment so I have greater respect for your opinions then others. My question being it looks like you are running a viking winch line would you say that is a better line then master pull?

IMO you could flip a coin because they are both quality products. I had the Viking rope laying in my shop so that's what I decided to run this time. I really like Masterpull as well, the only rope of theirs that didn't work good for me was their super strong version with the woven sheath over the rope. It was really hard to keep wound right on the spool and always seemed to want to squeeze between wraps because it was super stiff and slick. I had good luck with their standard 3/8" rope though. I've had equally wonderful customer service out of each company as well......don't really think you could go wrong with either.

racemedic

01-23-2012, 03:13 AM

Curious as to why you went with the XRC8? Im looking to buy a winch this week and have been looking at the XRC8, the Engo E-9000 and also the Warn vr8000. I like your build and the winch mount is great.

01tundra

01-23-2012, 03:46 AM

Curious as to why you went with the XRC8? Im looking to buy a winch this week and have been looking at the XRC8, the Engo E-9000 and also the Warn vr8000. I like your build and the winch mount is great.

Honestly........$299 :).

Box Rocket

01-23-2012, 07:03 PM

Honestly........$299 :).

and....dishonestly......how much? :costumed-smiley-007

offthebeatenpath

01-24-2012, 04:41 AM

Just catching up on some reading tonight- looks like I missed a lot. Anyways- I ought to pass on what's been passed on to me about drill bits.
I couldn't help but see all your busted up titanium-coated-gold-plated-fancy-looking-bits.

Buy bits made from cobalt steel. They'll cost you more, but they last longer and cut through mild steel like butter. A HUGE difference. They are more brittle, and have no rust-proof coating, but I still think they're worth it. The biggest thing is that they hold an edge better at high temps, so they don't blue out and dull-up. If they don't dull as fast, you won't be cutting spurs and breaking bits or your wrist :D

01tundra

01-24-2012, 01:55 PM

Just catching up on some reading tonight- looks like I missed a lot. Anyways- I ought to pass on what's been passed on to me about drill bits.
I couldn't help but see all your busted up titanium-coated-gold-plated-fancy-looking-bits.

Buy bits made from cobalt steel. They'll cost you more, but they last longer and cut through mild steel like butter. A HUGE difference. They are more brittle, and have no rust-proof coating, but I still think they're worth it. The biggest thing is that they hold an edge better at high temps, so they don't blue out and dull-up. If they don't dull as fast, you won't be cutting spurs and breaking bits or your wrist :D

After thinking about it a little, decided to cut the safety chain hoop off the factory receiver hitch and weld it onto my new bumper. I was orginally going to just loop the chains over the lower hoop if I ever towed a trailer......but that would scratch up my pretty rattle can paint job, so I figured having the chain hoop underneath made more sense.....plus, I was bored and felt like welding the other day :D!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/hitchchainhook.jpg

01tundra

01-24-2012, 03:31 PM

Any of you still have your factory mud flaps and mounting brackets laying around by chance? I'm looking for an entire factory set w/ mounting harware if somebody has a set they want to sell.

TangoBlue

01-24-2012, 04:55 PM

Any of you still have your factory mud flaps and mounting brackets laying around by chance? I'm looking for an entire factory set w/ mounting harware if somebody has a set they want to sell.

Yes, how may we help you...

01tundra

01-24-2012, 05:00 PM

Price and Paypal account please :D!

Do you still have the mounting brackets also?

Seriously, if you have a full set of mud flaps that you would consider selling, I'll take them.

I actually e-stalked you a few minutes ago on your build thread to see if you were still running them, was planning on sending you a PM if you didn't reply.....ha :)!

TangoBlue

01-24-2012, 05:23 PM

I kind of feel violated now... could you do it again, please?

The fronts have no brackets, just that dog leg molded in the plastic at the top. The rear flaps have the metal brackets. No nuts - I replaced them in the mounting holes and they'll stay.

I thought I might use them but that would be pointless as it stands now. Maybe when I put 215's on it...

They're just taking up space in the attic; I have no idea what replacements cost so I have to check it out, but yes, consider them sold to you. We can haggle via PM later as I have to leave in a little bit.

01tundra

01-24-2012, 05:29 PM

I kind of feel violated now... could you do it again, please?

The fronts have no brackets, just that dog leg molded in the plastic at the top. The rear flaps have the metal brackets. No nuts - I replaced them in the mounting holes and they'll stay.

I thought I might use them but that would be pointless as it stands now. Maybe when I put 215's on it...

They're just taking up space in the attic; I have no idea what replacements cost so I have to check it out, but yes, consider them sold to you. We can haggle via PM later as I have to leave in a little bit.

Ha :)! That works, just shoot me a PM with price. They are high dollar new - like $80ish each......sure glad I threw all of mine away the night I got it home :rolleyes:. I figured I was going to put larger tires on it and wouldn't need them.....oh well.
I see them sell on the boards for varying prices. Just missed a set of rears on TTORA for $30.

Box Rocket

01-24-2012, 05:58 PM

I did something similar with my safety chain loops except I just ran a straight peice of solid bar stock from the rear of the receiver tube (on both sides) up to the lower tube on the bumper. So it kind works like a gusset or brace for the receiver tube but is also where I attach the safety chains.

Keep the up-dates coming.

Haggis

01-24-2012, 08:41 PM

While I miss your old Tundra your new ride is damn sweet. These models are definitely my favorite of the Tacoma flavors...if only they had a V8. Your front bumper/winch mod is just to cool and looks like a factory job. Well done sir!

01tundra

01-26-2012, 01:01 PM

Got my winch switches installed.

I was about to pull the trigger on building my own bed rack, had it drawn up in AutoCAD and had all the material in the shopping cart online yesterday......but after adding it all up, it was going to only save me about $150 (minus consumables and time) to build it. So I decided to go with a Thule base rack. Where then get you is all the mounting accessories for the kayaks.....all that crap cost 3X what the rack does. They kind of have you over a barrel if you want to be able to lock your items down and also want a rack that is quickly removed. Oh well, it should serve us well. I'm sure I could have spent a month trying to build something, but you have to pick your battles and I didn't really have time for this one.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/WinchSwitches.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/WinchSwitch2.jpg

TangoBlue

01-26-2012, 05:50 PM

Looks very nice. OEM-ish. Well done! How will you ever manage without the clock-of-which-we-cannot-see? :rolleyes:

01tundra

01-26-2012, 07:02 PM

Yeah, at first I didn't want to lose my clock, but after having to look around the steering wheel all the time I figured it should have never been there in the first place.......plus after about three months I just realized that my GPS has the time right in front of my face :o

TangoBlue

01-26-2012, 09:34 PM

Same - I don't miss it and it made a handy spot to mount the DBS controller/monitor. Able to check it, but not in your face.

offthebeatenpath

01-29-2012, 03:08 AM

Yeah, actually I meant something more like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-CO4029-Cobalt-Assortment-29-Piece/dp/B0000TZX3K

That's why I usually buy them one at a time per project from the local Ace Hardware. The 1/2 bit will set you back $12-15, but like the Amazon description says, they're good to super high temps, like over 1000 degrees. That depends on the percentage of cobalt in the steel in the bits- "most of the time" the more you pay, the more cobalt you're getting. Go buy one bit and try it. You won't go back.

Went ahead and changed the timing belt & water pump this weekend....good times :D.

Got Tango's mud flaps installed on Friday......still waiting for him to send me his front axle :). I've found out the hard way that living on a muddy, gravel road makes mud flaps a necessary evil!

My bed rack should be here on Tuesday.

After three months of darkness....the sun finally came out so I could get some overall pictures taken. This is as close to stock looking as I can keep it, while still being a solid mildly built truck. I'm happy with how it's turned out.....mission accomplished.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/taco3-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/Taco1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/taco2-1.jpg

jim65wagon

01-30-2012, 01:31 PM

This truck is built? Looks stock to me!

01tundra

01-30-2012, 01:43 PM

This truck is built? Looks stock to me!

Ha! I've been cutting, welding, & wrenching on this thing for almost 3 months straight and every time I look at it I think to myself....."it still looks the same as it did the night I brought it home" :)! Of course I have to hear Andrea's commits all the time too...."it looks pretty good, but it still needs bigger tires"......hush woman and get to wrenching on that pansy FJ is my response to that nonsense ;).

Rattler

01-30-2012, 02:16 PM

My bed rack should be here on Tuesday.

Defintely post up pics of that. I have to redo mine at some point this spring and I can use all the ideas I can.

TangoBlue

01-30-2012, 03:11 PM

Looks really good. You definitely nailed the stealth approach. Not many would ever detect that you've made the changes you have unless they had some knowledge of off-roading.

juicebox

01-30-2012, 10:42 PM

My bed rack should be here on Tuesday.

Defintely post up pics of that. I have to redo mine at some point this spring and I can use all the ideas I can.

Times a billion. I'm re-doing mine too, I almost bought the steel a few days ago but I wanted to plan it more.

Oh yeah, how many miles are on your truck now? Mine is just hit 78K and I'm considering just doing the T-belt and water pump now because the truck is 10 years old.

Rattler

01-30-2012, 11:18 PM

I am hoping to go with something lighter but that can get $$$. Anything will be lighter than what I am using but it has served well for a couple years.

01tundra

01-30-2012, 11:21 PM

It was going to cost me about $125 for material to build it out of 1/8" steel tubing, but it is going to be easier for me to just throw the Thule on it and call it a day. I want all the locking capabilities since I'll have over $5k worth of kayaks and paddles sitting on the rack.......

juicebox

01-30-2012, 11:50 PM

Is this the one you got?

84130

01tundra

01-31-2012, 01:12 PM

Got the rack installed. Instead of using Thule's small screws & well nut inserts, I used 1/4" S.S. bolts with lock nuts on the underside.

I also have M6 security nuts (trident - http://www.tannerbolt.com/products/SECURITY%20PRODUCTS/04@@2e%20SECURITY%20NUTS.aspx) on the way to replace all the wing nuts that fasten the holders to the rack. I don't like the fact that the most expensive part of the rack can be removed by hand in a matter of minutes, so I'm going to make them have to work at it :D.

The cool part is there's no way to hold the bolts from turning if somebody tried to unbolt it from inside the bed. I can unlock the feet and lift each load bar off in seconds, the mounting bases have black plastic caps for when the rack isn't installed, looks pretty clean without the rack on it.

I mounted the edge of the rear feet about 5-7/8" from the end corner of the bed rail and mounted the front so there's a 36" spread center to center of the load bars. I bought 65" load bars, and then cut them down to where each end sticks out of the feet 1-1/8", that way they are not sticking out past the bed (in case I ever want to run a basket on it while off-road). The feet are Thule 430 Tracker 2 with TK14 sheet metal mount bases.

I can still roll the bed cover up, I just have to drag it under each of the load bars when I get to them.

And the best part is.....Thule even color-matched the kayak carriers to match my truck :D.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/r1-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/r2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/r3-1.jpg

TangoBlue

01-31-2012, 05:18 PM

Lah-de-dah... color matched carriers. Very blingy!

01tundra

01-31-2012, 05:28 PM

Lah-de-dah... color matched carriers. Very blingy!

Hey.....I can't help that Thule has great taste and decided to use Toyota Lunar Mist as their base color :D!

Now I'm trying to figure out how to hack apart a receiver hitch cargo carrier to make a narrow center basket for the rack, thinking something along the lines of 20" W x 48" L. I could then fab up some quick-attach load bars on it to mount the center kayak carriers on, since we will typically only be hauling two boats, three on occassion.

I may just fab a basket from scratch. I'd also like it to serve as a platform to throw the Thule cargo bag on.....that's been sitting unused on my shelf for the past 3 yrs.

TangoBlue

01-31-2012, 05:33 PM

I'm thinking but it's just making my brain hurt. Something in between the 2 carriers now, that mounts to the hitch?

01tundra

01-31-2012, 05:40 PM

Nope, remove the center folding kayak mounts, bolt a basket directly to the Thule load bars, then have the ability to bolt short load bars across the top of the basket (when needed) to mount the existing center kayak mounts to. So her smaller boat could sit on top of the basket, maybe 4" higher than the two larger boats on each side = multi-tasking :)

Thinking about just grabbing some 1"x1"x1/8" tubing and go to town. Not sure if I want/need expanded metal on the bottom or not, but if so it would be easy to do. Could then drill the elevated side bars of the basket and make a couple load bars that attached on top with wing nuts. Then attach the two Thule kayak mounts to the cross bars.

TangoBlue

01-31-2012, 05:44 PM

Check - got it. Now I'm tracking.

01tundra

01-31-2012, 05:46 PM

Probably be easier and cheaper to build my own for sure, plus then I can build it to the exact size I need......looks like I'm not getting out the lazy route on this one.......suppose this will justify the latest spool of wire I just bought for the mig....off to AutoCAD now :)!

01tundra

01-31-2012, 07:11 PM

Maybe something kinda sorta like this -

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/rack.jpg

01tundra

02-08-2012, 01:23 PM

Got the heavy duty relay-style headlight harness installed last night, took about all of 10 minutes to complete. It's definitely a quality product. They included the diode and whatever else to make my high beam indicator work properly.

Their engineer was at lunch when I called last week, he returned my call within 30 minutes to get the needed info and had a custom harness at my door in under a week (for about $90).......the SUVlights.com website is still down and neither them, or Daniel Stern, have yet to return the emails I sent them over a week ago.....so those two losers can pound sand.

Susquehanna MotorSports for the win -

http://www.rallylights.com/detail.aspx?ID=3730

I don't know how much brighter it made my headlights, but I can say they're a "whole helluva lot" brighter ;). The cool part is that if I happen to ever lose a relay, the factory headlight harness plugs are still there to simply plug directly back into the bulbs.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/headlightharness.jpg

Haggis

02-08-2012, 01:58 PM

I can still roll the bed cover up, I just have to drag it under each of the load bars when I get to them.

I'll bet you'll hardly ever roll the cover up when the racks are on. My secondary rack sits higher that yours and the cover is probably easier to use, but we seldom roll up the cover to access the bed. Of course that might be because I have a 14 year old truck monkey to crawl into the truck to retrieve stuff for me. I'm gonna miss that monkey one of these days and I have to drag my carcass up there instead.

01tundra

02-08-2012, 03:09 PM

I'll bet you'll hardly ever roll the cover up when the racks are on. My secondary rack sits higher that yours and the cover is probably easier to use, but we seldom roll up the cover to access the bed. Of course that might be because I have a 14 year old truck monkey to crawl into the truck to retrieve stuff for me. I'm gonna miss that monkey one of these days and I have to drag my carcass up there instead.

Yeah you're probably right. I took the rack off this past weekend because I was helping my friend with some magazine event coverage and I couldn't believe how quick and easy it was to remove/install by myself. Turn the key on the four feet and the rack was off in a matter of seconds, reinstallation was just as easy.

I'm really glad I went this route, the rack will fit the bill for me.

TangoBlue

02-08-2012, 03:12 PM

Got the heavy duty relay-style headlight harness installed last night, took about all of 10 minutes to complete. It's definitely a quality product. They included the diode and whatever else to make my high beam indicator work properly.

Their engineer was at lunch when I called last week, he returned my call within 30 minutes to get the needed info and had a custom harness at my door in under a week (for about $90).......the SUVlights.com website is still down and neither them or that turd Daniel Stern have yet to return the emails I sent them over a week ago.....so those two losers can pound sand.

Susquehanna MotorSports for the win -

http://www.rallylights.com/detail.aspx?ID=3730

I don't know how much brighter it made my headlights, but I can say they're a "whole helluva lot" brighter ;). The cool part is that if I happen to ever lose a relay, the factory headlight harness plugs are still there to simply plug directly back into the bulbs.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/headlightharness.jpg

Really? That much of a difference, eh? hmmm....

01tundra

02-08-2012, 03:15 PM

The best I can tell it made a very big difference, I'll know better on the drive home from the shop tonight.
I totally expected a $90 pint of snake oil, but my response when I hit the switch was "wow" :)!
I'll report back.

jim65wagon

02-08-2012, 11:06 PM

So how's that new relay wiring supposed to work and make brighter lights?
.
Even with my own truck monkey, I roll the cover up a lot. Of course my rack is a bit substantial (probably the size of your truck bed) and I tend to leave it on 3 seasons unless I need to haul something tallish. I like the easey-peasey way your new rack removes and installs....

TangoBlue

02-09-2012, 12:39 AM

To keep production costs low, manufacturers sometimes use a smaller gauge wire. I understand that the new wiring harness for the light feature a larger gauge wire, promoting the healthy flow of electrons. Not an uncommon upgrade for Land Cruisers, just hadn't considered it for the Tacoma.

jim65wagon

02-09-2012, 03:02 AM

To keep production costs low, manufacturers sometimes use a smaller gauge wire. I understand that the new wiring harness for the light feature a larger gauge wire, promoting the healthy flow of electrons. Not an uncommon upgrade for Land Cruisers, just hadn't considered it for the Tacoma.

Gotcha....I thought it was some fancy dancy magic that I wasn't comprehending, but it's just physics.....and something to consider for the Tundra

01tundra

02-09-2012, 01:07 PM

It has definitely made my headlights brighter. I'm just running Phillips Xtreme Power 60/55W bulbs. I'm sure if I stepped up the bulbs they would be crazy bright, but then I would have to aim them into the ground to keep from blinding people......don't really see much sense in all that.

01tundra

02-13-2012, 10:49 PM

I decided to rework my front valance and add in some bitchin' flames.....:D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/ice1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/ice2.jpg

Haggis

02-13-2012, 11:20 PM

Hey, I have some of those on my truck. OK, their not as artistic as your handywork but they're about the same color.

01tundra

03-19-2012, 02:04 PM

Finally got to try out the new kayak bed rack :). The boats are super secure and don't budge, all the way up to 75 MPH, so I'm happy with it. I wish I would have bought a Tacoma years ago.....I love this truck!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/kayak1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/kayak2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/kayak4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/kayak3.jpg

TangoBlue

03-19-2012, 04:21 PM

Very nice to see the plan come together. Anything in mind for the future or do you have it built about where you want it?

01tundra

03-19-2012, 07:40 PM

I think I'm pretty much where I want to be with it for now.

It's basically ready for any camping, exploring, adventure, and/or trail riding trip I would want to throw at it.

Toss the fridge and tentcot in it and drive :).

It's now the FJ's turn to get a little lovin' :D

docjake

03-20-2012, 12:32 PM

Have you had the chance to try out the winch yet? I am thinking of doing something similar with my second gen, and wanted to know how much flex/binding you get. I will make a real bumper for it soon but I don't want to cut it up yet; I know that once you get out the sawzall it is a slippery slope.

01tundra

03-20-2012, 12:42 PM

Have you had the chance to try out the winch yet? I am thinking of doing something similar with my second gen, and wanted to know how much flex/binding you get. I will make a real bumper for it soon but I don't want to cut it up yet; I know that once you get out the sawzall it is a slippery slope.

I haven't used it in the field yet, just around the house. The only way I could get any flex is if the frame rails decided to twist together, which I suppose would mean the truck would flip over itself :). I'm willing to bet that my winch mount is as strong as (read: much stronger) than any "winch bumper" that can be purchased.

tchughes

04-11-2012, 08:26 PM

Thanks for sharing the build on the winch mounted in the bumper. I would like to put something similar to this in my 3rd gen 4Runner and this will give me a good place to start (steal from). :p

01tundra

05-17-2013, 04:47 PM

Well after noticing that my tires are wearing on the inside last week I'm guessing my alignment is out.

Here's the rub, nobody around here will do the alignment with the front Budbuilt skid plate installed, and when I remove it the truck lifts up about an 1/8". So today I'm going to pull of all three plates and give them a little trimming.....ok, maybe a lot of trimming. I would like to lighten the truck up and also allow the front end to be aligned without me having to wrestle with these heavy skid plates. I will have to give up a certain level of protection, but over the years with my old Tundra I learned through trial and error that there areas wear the level of protection can be reduced, I've just got to figure out that balance.

I'm assuming that when they align the front end, the issue is getting to the adjustment nuts at the lower A-arms, I want to make sure I trim enough in the areas needed - does anybody know of anything else that needs to be accessed when doing a front-end alignment on an ifs rig?

I'm curious to see what you do with the skids, I plan on fabbing my own and want to make sure they don't need to be pulled for an alignment.

Off of the top of my head I can think of the both front and rear lower control arm bolts and the tie rod ends as the big things you need easy access to for an alignment.

01tundra

05-20-2013, 02:25 PM

I was really hoping to trim a lot off both plates, but there's not really enough to trim to justify it on the transmission/t-case plate. I may have been able to take 5 lbs. or so off it, so it wasn't really worth messing with IMO.

I did trim the front plate to allow for alignments to be performed with the plate installed. After doing all this work, I waited at the alignment shop for over an hour for them to tell me that the toe adjustment sleeve jam nuts were frozen so they couldn't align it.....so I took it home and hit them with a shot of Kroil and about 30 seconds with my torch and they broke loose, applied anti-seize and then back to the alignment shop to get it finished.

So freakin jealous of the plasma cutter. If I had to do that it would be hours with a stupid grinder. As for protection I think you'll be just fine with how you've cut those. Hopefully it allows the necessary access to have an alignment done.

01tundra

05-20-2013, 09:02 PM

You're more than welcome to come use it any time you need to :ylsmoke:

Yep, the mechanic said that he had no problems aligning it with the skid plate installed.

Barrows

11-25-2013, 01:45 AM

Any updates to the truck? Do you ever regret selling your tundra and going with a lighter duty rig?

01tundra

12-09-2013, 08:52 PM

No real updates.

Ended up changing the inner & outer TRE's while replacing the steering rack boot on the passenger side a few weeks ago.

The Duratracs are starting to get a little slick in the rain and are pretty loud, but still have tread left on them and are still very balanced. I've got a little over 50k miles on them now, so no complaints there. Wish they weren't so loud, but that's the only real complaint I have about them. I'll easily get 60k miles out of them.

I'm trying to decide what tires will go on the FJ and Tacoma next and I can't rule the Duratracs out, so far they're the front runner. The Cooper S/T Max's are attractive, but I think the weight will knock them out. If Cooper would make a C-rated S/T Max I'd be all over them. I'd really like to give them a shot.

Absolutely no regrets, I still love this little truck like the day I brought it home. I'll run it until it dies, replace the engine, and repeat :ylsmoke:.

Rattler

12-10-2013, 03:50 AM

I need new treads in the spring. Probably going with Duratracs or General Grabber AT2s myself.

NCtrail4R

12-14-2013, 11:25 PM

Great thread. Be sure to post up when you decide on new tires. I'm running Duratracs with around 45k on them and will replace them early spring - waiting on that tax return! How would you say the Hankook MTs compared with the Duratracs for wet roads and noise. Have been thinking about replacing with either Hankooks or ST/Maxx when the time comes. I'm already running E's so the weight difference isn't that big of a step.

01tundra

12-15-2013, 03:00 AM

Great thread. Be sure to post up when you decide on new tires. I'm running Duratracs with around 45k on them and will replace them early spring - waiting on that tax return! How would you say the Hankook MTs compared with the Duratracs for wet roads and noise. Have been thinking about replacing with either Hankooks or ST/Maxx when the time comes. I'm already running E's so the weight difference isn't that big of a step.

Duratracs started off quieter than the Hankooks, but now are louder. But in fairness I sold the Tundra with about 15k-20k on the Hankooks.

Rain they seemed about the same, not sure how the Hankooks will do once they get some mileage on them, but the Duratracs are getting pretty slick in the rain.

I've pretty much decided that I'm going to give the Cooper S/T Maxx's a shot next time.

Rdy2offrd88

12-22-2013, 11:59 PM

Absolutely love the clean, yet still highly capable look. Not flashy and still gets the job done. Ready to see some pics of this thing on the trail!

sovereign

12-23-2013, 05:01 AM

Well after noticing that my tires are wearing on the inside last week I'm guessing my alignment is out.

Here's the rub, nobody around here will do the alignment with the front Budbuilt skid plate installed, and when I remove it the truck lifts up about an 1/8". So today I'm going to pull of all three plates and give them a little trimming.....ok, maybe a lot of trimming. I would like to lighten the truck up and also allow the front end to be aligned without me having to wrestle with these heavy skid plates. I will have to give up a certain level of protection, but over the years with my old Tundra I learned through trial and error that there areas wear the level of protection can be reduced, I've just got to figure out that balance.

I'm assuming that when they align the front end, the issue is getting to the adjustment nuts at the lower A-arms, I want to make sure I trim enough in the areas needed - does anybody know of anything else that needs to be accessed when doing a front-end alignment on an ifs rig?

Remind me to not move to Tennessee. The plates are designed to allow an alignment to be done without removal.

01tundra

01-22-2014, 12:34 AM

Remind me to not move to Tennessee.

Hey, please don't move to Tennessee - thanks.

01tundra

01-22-2014, 12:42 AM

Got the new 235/85R16 Cooper S/T Maxx's mounted up yesterday.

So far I like them, running at 38 psi F&R and they are slightly rougher than the Duratracs on sharp bumps on the road (like overpass transitions). Nothing that really bothers me though. If I dropped them down to35 psi like I had the Duratracs I think they would be hardly noticeable. Based on the "chart" printed by the various tire companies, I should be running somewhere between 36-38 psig to match the original P-rated tires load capacities. I chose to start at 38 psi to account for the additional weight that's been added to the truck. Someday I may do the chalk test, but I'll probably remember to do so in about 60k miles.

They are very quiet, more so than the new Duratracs we put on the FJ last week, but they're completely different vehicles and sizes. One of the biggest differences I noticed right away was the ease of steering, they also feel as though they have less rolling resistance. The weight is spec'd identical between the two (45 lbs), so I didn't gain any additional weight. They didn't appear to take much weight to balance and there's no funky pulling to the side characteristics, they track very straight.

I like them enough that I ordered the spare today. I read where it would fit in the stock location without modification, but that's not going to be the case. It may slide past the edges on the turned down tabs, but there's no way it's pulling all the way up to the cross member, unless I don't inflate it. I'll massage the turn down tabs easily to welcome the spare with open arms though. It also appears that the E-brake cable holder tab that's welded to the back of the diff will contact the spare, but that should be easy to move forward with my 3 lb rounding hammer :D

spare should fit, but if not, just move the brackets our and redrill the mount on the crossmember.

wreckdiver1321

01-22-2014, 01:41 AM

Looking good, I'm pretty certain that same tire in that same size will be my next tire purchase. Are they pretty close to 32"? They look like it.

01tundra

01-22-2014, 02:12 AM

Looking good, I'm pretty certain that same tire in that same size will be my next tire purchase. Are they pretty close to 32"? They look like it.

I'll have to measure them. They definitely appear to be larger than the Duratracs.

*edit - not close with the weight of the truck on them, 31-1/8" front / 31-1/4" rear.
Not quite as bad as my old KM2's were, but still short. Maybe if I throw 70-80 psi I could get them closer to 32".....

wreckdiver1321

01-22-2014, 07:22 PM

I'll have to measure them. They definitely appear to be larger than the Duratracs.

*edit - not close with the weight of the truck on them, 31-1/8" front / 31-1/4" rear.
Not quite as bad as my old KM2's were, but still short. Maybe if I throw 70-80 psi I could get them closer to 32".....

Hmmmm.... I've heard varying reports. The other guy I asked said his are 31-7/8". Interesting. Still better than what I have. My 235/85s are 30" :(

01tundra

01-22-2014, 07:34 PM

I used a level and tape to measure them last night with 38 psi in them. He may have been running a higher pressure?

I'm now toying with the idea of putting a shell/topper/cap/whatever on it.

It would be nice to have when hauling our products and I'd also like to come up with a sleep platform for it. I ran across a thread ealier where somebody had a custom canvas cover w/ zipper door made that covered the end of the bed with the tailgate down to buy some more leg room, looked like a fairly simply thing to build. This is the only time I really miss my '08 Tundra, the bed tent + air mattress was a sweet set up for us....

Going to start looking for a used shell. The nice part is that the Thule rack is mounted on my bed rails with towers meant for use on top of a fiberglass shell, so it will be an easy (and free) relocation project.

jim65wagon

01-23-2014, 12:59 AM

I used a level and tape to measure them last night with 38 psi in them. He may have been running a higher pressure?

or he measured them off the truck, the weight makes a big difference i think.

The tires look good and I'm not biased at all when I say that....

01tundra

01-23-2014, 01:17 AM

or he measured them off the truck, the weight makes a big difference i think.

The tires look good and I'm not biased at all when I say that....

Ha, of course your not biased....you'd think your last name was cooper instead of mine :sombrero:

But I must say, you were the one that swayed my decision the most.

I used to get so bummed with KM2's on my Tundra, the 37's would measure 35-3/4".......

BTW, read your whole thread, really digging the build. I'm in the process of updating my 01 DC Taco for overland duties and yours has a lot of great idea's/info I can use :beer:

Redline

01-24-2014, 05:11 AM

You mean 235/85, right? :)

MtnClimber

01-24-2014, 12:40 PM

Dammit, yes. The specs I posted are correct still. :snorkel:

01tundra

01-25-2014, 12:52 AM

Got my spare mounted up today.

I took each of the holder arms off and bent the rear tabs flat, leaving the front at their factory position to keep the tire from moving forward toward the axle.

Bolted angle from the rear tabs to factory holes in the frame to stiffen everything up. Tire fits good now.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v419/01tundra/spare_zps107716af.jpg

01tundra

01-28-2014, 01:21 PM

A few better pictures of the Cooper's -

MtnClimber

01-28-2014, 02:50 PM

Sure does look very subtle. Super clean, not yelling out for attention but uber capable. Perfect :cool:

2scars

01-31-2014, 06:45 PM

Anvil that is. That is a heck of a shop to work on playthings. Good job.

Brandon

mtnkid85

10-21-2014, 11:46 PM

Any updates on your rig? Ever find a topper for it? I love the build style.

01tundra

10-22-2014, 03:58 PM

No real updates, just driving and enjoying it's simplicity.

I do still love my Cooper S/T Maxx's, they continue to hold the title of "best all-around tire I've ever owned" :ylsmoke:.

Redline

10-23-2014, 03:34 PM

No real updates, just driving and enjoying it's simplicity.

I do still love my Cooper S/T Maxx's, they continue to hold the title of "best all-around tire I've ever owned" :ylsmoke:.

Best all-around tire ever is certainly worth sharing :)

mires

11-03-2014, 03:54 AM

No real updates, just driving and enjoying it's simplicity.

I do still love my Cooper S/T Maxx's, they continue to hold the title of "best all-around tire I've ever owned" :ylsmoke:.

Glad to hear you're still loving the tires. I have the Cooper A/T3's now and while I like them, I will probably try out the S/T Maxx next time around in the same 235/85 you have. I saw you mentioned them weighing 45 lbs. I haven't been able to find that number anywhere. Did you get that weight directly from Cooper?

01tundra

11-06-2014, 02:12 PM

Did you get that weight directly from Cooper?

No, just from the various supplier's websites (Discount Tire, Tire Rack, etc.).